Gujarat, India –June 18, 2017–The Children’s Project International in partnership with it’s affiliate The Children’s Welfare Charitable Trust (TCWCT), a Vadodara based 80G non-governmental organization, takes great pride in announcing the launch of the Food Security initiative in Vadodara. At the launch of its event, TCWCT provided hot lunches to over 325 locally disadvantaged people focusing on children who are most at risk for malnutrition. The event which featured over 30 volunteers was successful in providing mid-day meals to those most in need.

The level of malnutrition is of great concern in India with over 40% of children being classified as undernourished. “Children remain the most vulnerable in terms of food insecurity and malnutrition in India,” said Rupal P. Shukla, Vice-President of The Children’s Welfare Charitable Trust. She continued, saying “The Children’s Welfare Charitable Trust will continue to address severe and moderate acute malnutrition, especially in areas of greatest need.”

About The Children’s Project International

The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

New York, NY— March 21, 2016—In an open letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released today, The Children’s Project International (TCPI) joined the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH) in urging members of the Group of Seven (G7) to commit political and financial support to expanding Universal Health Coverage (UHC) throughout the developing world.

Mr. Abe, who will preside over the 42nd G7 Summit to be held on May 26 and 27 in Shima, Japan, has added UHC as part of the summit’s development agenda. The inclusion of UHC at the Shima conference follows the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by world leaders at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. The SDGs came into force on January 1 and build upon the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000.

In their letter, PMNCH and TCPI urge G7 governments:

Endorse the principles of universal health coverage. Make an explicit commitment to the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health by supporting Universal Health Coverage.

Universal Health Coverage must leave no one behind. Call for Universal Health Coverage to support equity and rights by focusing on the most marginalized and vulnerable populations, delivering comprehensive sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent primary health care services and ensuring services are provided free at point of use.

Prevention is better than response. Support reform to the global health architecture with coherent proposals on health systems strengthening for UHC and health security.

Increase aid to health. Call on G7 countries to contribute 0.1% of GNI to health, as part of 0.7% to ODA and, ensure that aid is aligned and supports national health systems

“If people have access to the health services they need without the risk of financial hardship, they will be able to lead productive lives, feed their families and send their children to school. This, I believe, will significantly transform lives across the continent and help build a brighter and more prosperous future for children across the world,” said Raj Luhar, Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Project International.

About The Children’s Project International

The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

]]>http://helpthemtoday.org/2016/03/25/tcpi-joins-letter-urging-g7-to-support-expanded-universal-health-coverage/feed/0Sustainable Development Agendahttp://helpthemtoday.org/2015/05/04/sustainable-development-agenda/
http://helpthemtoday.org/2015/05/04/sustainable-development-agenda/#respondMon, 04 May 2015 13:00:06 +0000http://helpthemtoday.org/?p=121616TCPI Statement on Managing the Successful Transition to a Sustainable Development Agenda

New York, NY—May 4, 2015—Fifteen years ago, the global community made a commitment to shared progress in the form of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Since the adoption of the MDGs, organizations like The Children’s Project International (TCPI) have done their part to fulfill the MDG mission with programs promoting primary education as a fundamental right for all children, medical interventions to combat malaria and water-borne diseases and mobile clinics providing primary care for underserved populations.

But even with the efforts of thousands of individuals working together to achieve the collective dreams of the 193 member states, the world has fallen short of achieving the goals it set for itself in 2000. As the global community prepares a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is important to incorporate the experience of organizations like TCPI which have been on the frontlines of fulfilling the MDGs as we set the agenda for the next fifteen years. In our experience, measurable goals like ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and sustainable management of water and sanitation are eminently achievable. TCPI projects sponsor the education of hundreds of girls in India and sub-Saharan Africa. Our Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) program provides access to clean water for over 3,000 villagers in rural Andhra Pradesh. In creating new goals for sustainable development, the global community must articulate concrete, measurable goals with benchmarks that describe what success will look like.

And for that success to remain sustainable, governments and civil society will need to innovate new ways to work together to achieve the post-2015 agenda. The SDG framework should encourage cooperation not only in the implementation of development programs, but also establish monitoring mechanisms for government and civil society to evaluate these interventions together. Critically evaluating project effectiveness has always been a hallmark of TCPI partnerships and a key contributor to the sustainability of our programs.

Most importantly, a truly sustainable development agenda must prioritize the rights and well-being of children. All the progress we make today will be for naught if the next generation is not adequately equipped to maintain the world they inherit. This requires a renewed focus on seriously combating child mortality, a goal not articulated in the proposed MDGs. This also requires additional efforts to provide quality secondary education, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where advances in primary education have not been accompanied by comparable growth in opportunities for secondary education, leading to a post-primary drop-off in enrollment. Ensuring adequate secondary educational opportunities contributes substantially to all the proposed SDGs from inclusive and sustainable economic growth to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies.

By investing in the world’s children, we invest in the world’s future. We must ensure child welfare is appropriately addressed and protected if we wish to ensure the globe’s sustainable development.

About The Children’s Project International

The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

New York, NY—October 17, 2014— With less than 500 days to go before the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), The Children’s Project International (TCPI) joins with its international partners, to call upon world leaders to intensify their efforts to accelerate progress to achieve the MDGs before their expiration at the end of next year. During the opening of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last month, voices from the developing world poignantly reminded the 193-member body of the commitments it made 14 years ago to eradicate extreme poverty and the work that still needs to be done before those commitments are fulfilled.

While some countries have achieved remarkable gains under the MDG framework, other nations require still greater assistance to meet the social and economic benchmarks set by the MDGs. “Non-governmental organizations like ours are working hard with partners in the developing world to improve maternal and child health, achieve universal education and promote gender equality,” said Raj Luhar, CEO of TCPI, “but achieving the complex goal of eliminating extreme poverty requires institutional and government actors to address the systemic conditions that contribute to endemic poverty.”

In advance of the 2015 deadline for the MDGs, the UN now considers seventeen draft Sustainable Development Goals to replace the MDGs upon their expiration. The proposed goals, which apply equally to wealthy and developing countries, will build upon the progress of the MDGs and cover a broader range of development issues across 169 targets. As the UN crafts the framework for a post-2015 development agenda, TCPI urges Member States to address the challenges to full achievement of the MDGs by strengthening the accountability framework around the SDGs.

Mr. Luhar commented, “It is clear that the global community desires a bold development agenda, but in order for it to succeed we must be bold enough to consider the lessons of the MDG process and use those learnings to structure a framework for success as we work together for sustainable development.”

About The Children’s Project International
The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

]]>http://helpthemtoday.org/2014/10/17/un-development-agenda/feed/0TCPI Commemorates the Convention on the Rights of the Childhttp://helpthemtoday.org/2014/07/15/tcpi-commemorates-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child/
http://helpthemtoday.org/2014/07/15/tcpi-commemorates-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child/#respondTue, 15 Jul 2014 12:23:51 +0000https://helpthemtoday.org/?p=121583TCPI Commemorates the Convention on the Rights of the Child

New York, NY—July 15, 2014—The Children’s Project International (TCPI) today announced plans to partner with UNICEF to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The partnership will underscore TCPI’s commitment to the recognition of the rights of children throughout the world.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, the UNCRC was the first treaty to guarantee the civil rights of children under the age of 18 and fundamentally reshaped the way in which children are viewed. The most widely accepted human rights treaty in history, the UNCRC has been ratified by 194 countries and safeguards children’s basic rights to survival, development, protection and participation in civil society.

“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a landmark document which established the fundamental rights that we now recognize apply to all children,” said Raj Luhar, CEO and founder of TCPI. “As an organization dedicated to improving children’s lives, we have made it our mission to ensure that all children are guaranteed the opportunity to exercise those rights without discrimination and take special pride in partnering with UNICEF to commemorate this transformative piece of legislation.”

TCPI will join government and civil society representatives at a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on November 20, 2014 to assess the impact of the UNCRC, identify the obstacles to full realization of children’s rights and explore innovative solutions to those challenges. “The twenty-fifth anniversary of the UNCRC is an opportunity to celebrate,” said Mr. Luhar, “but just as importantly, it is an opportunity for us to fulfill our promise to the world’s children by engaging with the global community to ensure the rights laid out in that document are available to all children everywhere.”

About The Children’s Project International
The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

New York, NY—July 10, 2014— The Children’s Project International (TCPI) announced today plans to participate in the UN’s Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The conference is TCPI’s most recent partnership initiative at a time when the organization has increased its international advocacy profile through special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The SIDS Conference, which will be held in Apia, Samoa in September, brings government and civil society representatives together to address issues which affect the global community at large and small island states more particularly. The impact of global challenges such as climate change, energy development and unemployment are a significant threat to the future of small island states whose unique circumstances pose a special challenge to conference attendees.

“The development of small island states is particularly fragile given population and resource limitations faced by isolated states” said Raj Luhar, CEO and founder of TCPI, “but TCPI brings a wealth of experience pursuing innovative solutions to support sustainable development in even the most challenging environments.”

The SIDS Conference creates an opportunity for civil society and government actors to establish high-impact partnerships with small island states in support of sustainable development initiatives. The solutions pursued at the conference will contribute significantly to the framework of an agenda shaped by the maturation of the Millennium Development Goals which come due in 2015.

“With partnerships across the globe, TCPI understands the meaningful impact of fulfilling our commitment to a sustainable development agenda,” said Mr. Luhar. “We look forward to the opportunity to work with representatives of small island developing states and together to collaborate to a sustainable future for all.

About The Children’s Project International
The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

New York, NY—July 2, 2014— The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted special consultative status to The Children’s Project International (TCPI), an international non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the welfare of children in underdeveloped regions of the globe. Special consultative status provides a select group of organizations with access to ECOSOC, one of the 5 principal organs of the United Nations system. The official recognition for TCPI “enables it to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies,” Andrei Abramov, chief of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ NGO Branch, wrote in a letter to TCPI announcing the organization’s new status.

Since its founding in 2009, TCPI has participated in the activities of the UN in both the United States and India and supported grassroots projects to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals in advance of the 2015 deadline established by the UN. Special consultative status will allow TCPI to appoint an official representative to the United Nations with the ability to participate in the events, conferences and activities of the UN and authority to represent the organization in public meetings of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies. TCPI will also be able to submit written statements relevant to the work of the Council on subjects related to the organization’s areas of expertise.

“We are honored to receive this official recognition of all our organization has achieved since our founding 5 years ago,” said Raj Luhar, Founder and CEO of TCPI. “TCPI has made an invaluable impact on the lives of children across the globe and special consultative status further empowers our organization to assist the global community in realizing our shared goals for the eradication of poverty and promotion of sustainable development.”

About The Children’s Project International
The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

The largest event in United Nations History, the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, brought together representatives of governments across the globe as well as representatives of civil society, including TCPI policy advocates, to adopt an agenda for sustainable development.

Concluding at the end of June, the conference adopted a resolution, a 53-page document entitled “The Future We Want,” incorporating priorities identified by TCPI’s policy advocacy program. The document reaffirms key principles enshrined in the Rio Declaration of 1992 defining the right to development and underscoring the importance of a global partnership to address environmental concerns while supporting an agenda to eradicate extreme poverty.

The document portends to enhance the accountability of international programs through a process to formulate internationally adopted Sustainable Development Goals. Mirroring the Millennium Development Goals the framework for humanitarian relief in least developed nations, the Sustainable Development Goals will be debated and adopted by the UN General Assembly later this year. TCPI policy advocates will actively contribute to the debate, pushing for well-defined goals that balance the economic, social and environmental priorities of the developing world as the international community undertakes the important work of creating a sustainable future.

Austin, TX—January 25, 2012— Nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer a lack of access to clean water. Boasting the second largest population in the world, India suffers acutely from the effects of water insecurity, which is why The Children’s Project International (TCPI) has undertaken an initiative to address a critically unmet need for the more than 100 million Indians without safe drinking water through its Water, Sanitation, and Health (WASH) program. Today, TCPI annouced the construction of six bore wells to provide clean drinking water to over 3000 villagers in rural Andhra Pradesh.

“Clean water is such a basic resource, many people have come to take it for granted,” explained Raj Luhar, CEO of The Children’s Project International, an Austin, TX-based non-governmental organization. “But in India, where 30% of urban and 90% of rural households depend on untreated surface water, the shortage of clean water is a serious limit on development and a vector for otherwise preventable diseases and, in the worst cases, child mortality.” The World Bank reports that approximately 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe drinking water with diarrhea-related illnesses killing an estimated 1,600 Indians each day. One Indian medical association estimates that of global diarrhea-related deaths of children under 5, a full 25% are Indian children.

“With statistics like these, it is critically important that we start the urgent work now to build the infrastructure to halt these preventable deaths today and provide a framework for the world community to meet its commitments to the Millennium Development Goals,” Mr. Luhar said, referring to the MDGs agreed to by all 193 United Nations member states along with international non-governmental organizations to eradicate extreme poverty, reduce child mortality rates, fight epidemic disease and develop a global partnership for development. Under the WASH program, TCPI announced the constrution of six bore wells to provide clean drinking water for over 3000 villagers in rural Andhra Pradesh who would otherwise have no local access to safe water. Plans are already underway to replicate the WASH program on a larger scale in advance of the 2015 MDG deadline to address a critically unmet need in other areas of India.

“TCPI programs achieve international success because we tailor our interventions to the individual needs of each community,” Mr. Luhar said in reference to MDG partnerships addressing access to food, education and basic medical care in Latin America, India and the Horn of Africa. “And more and more we are hearing that access to safe water supplies is a seriously underappreciated sine qua non for not just disease prevention, but also economic and local development.” Under the WASH program, TCPI will continue its mission of empowering local partners to provide clean water access and improved sanitary practices as the foundation for sustainable development and achieving a better tomorrow.About The Children’s Project International
The Children’s Project International undertakes charitable activities dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s children by providing life-sustaining goods and personally enriching tools. By leveraging the social consciousness of today’s youth, TCPI seeks to work with existing organizations which share in TCPI’s goals to provide underprivileged and disenfranchised children with material relief and the belief in a better tomorrow. TCPI is led by a Board of Directors of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of the globe.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people living with HIV, most of whom live in poor, developing countries. Home to just 10% of the world’s population, sub-Saharan Africa represents 60% of all AIDS infections with mother-to-child transmission posing a real threat to the most vulnerable human beings. Last year alone, UNAIDS estimates 390,000 children were newly infected with HIV. Health organizations and their allies have made great progress limiting the spread of the disease, however where access to preventive education is limited, the pandemic, and our struggle against it, continues.